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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Hello and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! For anyone who knows me, you know how much I LOVE St. Patrick’s Day! I’m not sure where this stems from although I do have some Irish blood in me (my mom’s maiden name was Murphy); I think a lot of it is just that I […]

8 Home Renovations That Will Pay You Back

This time of year many people think about making improvements to their home, possibly because they have tax return money they want to spend, the winter weather has them spending more time indoors or maybe they’re thinking of selling their house in the spring or summer. Whatever the reason, if you are considering any renovations […]

Staging For Web Appeal

You’ve heard it before, staging DOES make a difference when selling your home. In today’s world, it’s not just about staging your house to make it look better when prospective buyers come through for a showing. The first place buyers look for a house is online so you must make sure your house is staged […]

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Why not buy your sweetheart something other than flowers, chocolates or jewelry this year? How about a house instead?! Here are some tips to avoid homebuying heartbreak today or any day. ~Melissa http://blog.rismedia.com/2015/homebuying-heartbreak-valentines-day/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

The Importance of Working with a REALTOR

Not everyone realizes there is a difference between a licensed real estate agent and a REALTOR. The latter is a member of the National Association of Realtors and is held accountable to a strict Code of Ethics. It is important to work with a REALTOR when buying or selling your home. Here is a short […]

For Buyers: 6 Homebuying Tips

There is a lot of information out there to help first time homebuyers. While all of it may not apply to you, as a homebuyer, it’s important to know what is expected of you and what tools are out there to help you find and buy the exact home you are looking for. As an […]

For Buyers: Your Credit and Homebuying

For anyone thinking of buying a house, take a look at this article to learn more about how your credit score will affect your ability to get a mortgage and how you can improve your chances of getting the best deal. Your credit score will dictate many things for your upcoming home purchase, so I […]

To-Do’s: Your January Home Checklist

Hello, If your live in an area experiencing frigid temperatures, I hope you are finding a way to stay warm! I came across this checklist I thought might be helpful so wanted to share. Click on the link below for ideas of things you can do this month at home. ~Melissa [houzz=http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/34504062/list/to-dos-your-january-home-checklist w=300]

Cheers To You!

Hello, It is hard to believe we are already saying goodbye to 2014, time seems to go by faster each year. I would like to take a moment to thank all of you reading my blog as well as my clients this year for helping me to have another successful year. I love real estate […]

“I really enjoyed working with Melissa Stevenson. I am so glad that she was our realtor! I chose her because she was in the area, appeared friendly/helpful, and she was one of the top realtors. She was so helpful with the purchase of our home. She was always willing to answer our questions, no matter the time or day of the week. Overall it was a great moving experience. I would highly recommend her!”

“Melissa has a great reputation with many people we know. She is hard-working, professional, honest, attentive, and thorough. We consider her a great friend and asset to know as a realtor. She did a wonderful job with both the sale of our old home (sold in 2 days) and selection of our forever home.

We cannot say enough about how well Melissa does her job.

We ran to some obstacles with the purchase of our home and in dealing with the other broker. She was very persistent and great at keeping us updated as the details got worked out.”

“We appreciated Melissa Stevenson's professional opinion and personal friendship through the selling process. We always felt that Melissa had our best interest in mind and we appreciated all the extra marketing ideas she used to make our home look more appealing and attractive. We were so pleased with how fast Melissa sold the house and completed the closing. We would highly recommend Melissa Stevenson to anyone in need of selling or buying a home.”

“Melissa did exactly what she said she was going to do and that was to sell our house. It happened so quick that we weren't focused too much on finding a house, but when the time came she steered us in the right direction. Melissa suggested we should write a note to the owner of the house that we wanted to offer on and that seemed to help during the negotiations. She will lead you through each step of the way and have the advice you need to make each decision. We would highly recommend Melissa Stevenson to anyone selling or buying a home.”

“Could not have asked for a better home buying experience! My boyfriend and I were both first time home buyers and knew nothing about the process when we first contacted Melissa. She was incredibly helpful with telling us what we needed to know to make a good buying decision. I always felt like she was looking out for us at every showing to make sure we ended up in a house we would love. My only regret is that we found a house fairly quickly and didn’t get to spend more time with her!”

“Always available, went the extra mile and incredibly knowledgeable about everything related to selling our home. She knows the area, knows the stats and has the pulse of the realty market. She was great to work with. We recommended Melissa to a family member and their house sold in a day!”

“Melissa went above and beyond what we expected from a realtor. She was patient and helpful with all of our needs.

Coming from another state to IL proved to be a challenge at times, but Melissa was always ready and willing to work with our schedule and time frame to show us as many homes as we picked to see in the area. We were never rushed and she went out of her way at times to meet our schedule. She always quickly returned our calls and emails with any of our questions.

We would recommend Melissa to anyone looking for a true professional to help buy or sell a home in the area. Thanks Melissa!”

“Melissa did a thorough market analysis to help us determine a fair list price for our home and within 6 days we accepted an offer at 98% of our list price. Melissa also walked us through the buying process and all the extra steps required with a Car relocation home. She was our rock during this simultaneous buying and selling process and we absolutely could not have done it with out her! She was knowledgeable, responsive, and so patient with all of our questions! You won’t find anyone better!”

“Melissa Stevenson with Newcastle Realty were GREAT to me! Me, only being 23 and buying my very first home was a great experience! Melissa was there every step of the way. If I had any questions or concerns, she was very knowledgeable. She stayed in contact with me to make sure this process goes as smooth as possible which it really did! I would strongly recommend Melissa Stevenson and Newcastle Realty to anyone thats in the market to buying or selling!”

“5 stars across the board. As a first time home buyer, I had a LOT of questions, and was very nervous. Melissa was always able to answer my questions quickly, and calm my nerves. I would recommend Melissa to anyone looking to buy a home. She listened to what I was looking for, and was so helpful in walking me through the process. I have a home that has everything on my "must have" list.”

“Melissa was personable and professional! She understood my wants and needs perfectly and was excited with me throughout the entire process of buying my first home! I felt that I was working with a dependable, knowledgeable, trustworthy friend. I would definitely recommend Melissa to friends and family members to assist with their selling or purchasing needs!”

“We enjoyed working with Melissa Stevenson. She was helpful, patient, and definitely understanding while we dealt with all the stresses of buying and selling a house. If you are in the market to sell and/or buy a house, Melissa will make the process as easy as possible. She has great recommendations for mortgage lenders and for your home inspections. We highly recommend her and thank her for all she did in helping us get our dream home!”

“Melissa went above and beyond when helping us look for a house in Peoria. She knew the area and was most helpful and available in our short window. I am positive my son will have a great experience in Peoria at Bradley university and with Melissa's help we have a plan for the next four years.”

“Melissa has been a friend for years and I was happy to make our first call to her when we decided to begin looking for our home. She is very knowledgeable about neighborhoods and helped point out things to look at during showings. She was always available and patient answering the numerous questions we had about the process. We felt like we were in good hands the whole time. Thanks Melissa, we love our house!”

“We picked Melissa Stevenson because she lived around the corner from us and specialized in houses located in The Uplands.

Melissa was fabulous and went above and beyond for us. She worked very very hard to sell our house in a terrible market. We so appreciate everything she has done for us!

Melissa was responsive to our every need. She responded immediately and was always in touch with us. Our emails and phone calls were answered immediately and we knew we could count on her for anything we needed.

We would recommend Melissa to anyone who wants a realtor who works very hard on her client's behalf and is extremely responsible, diligent and professional.”

“I knew Melissa was the right woman for the job based on the referral I got from a friend of mine. Melissa made a great first impression by coming to my home and talking with me about any needs for updates and we seemed to be on the same page. She listened to my desires as far as what work I wanted to do on the home prior to putting it on the market.

Melissa worked in a very timely fashion and made the process painless.

Melissa always made me feel comfortable about coming to her with any questions throughout the process. She answered all of my questions in a very timely fashion. Melissa was very knowledgeable about the real estate in my area of West Peoria.”